Comparison of orbital launcher families

This article compares different orbital launcher families (launchers which are significantly different from other members of the same 'family' have separate entries). The article is organized into two tables: the first contains a list of currently active and under-development launcher families, while the second contains a list of retired launcher families.

The related article "Comparison of orbital launch systems" lists each individual launcher system within any given launcher family, categorized by its current operational status.

Description
Note: only includes orbital launches (flights launched with the intention of reaching orbit). Suborbital tests launches are not included in this listing.
 * Family: Name of the family/model of launcher
 * Country: Origin country of launcher
 * Manufac.: Main manufacturer
 * Payload: Maximum mass of payload, for 3 altitudes
 * LEO, low Earth orbit
 * GTO, geostationary transfer orbit
 * TLI, trans-Lunar injection
 * Cost: Price for a launch at this time, in millions of US$
 * Launches reaching...
 * Total: Flights which lift-off, or where the vehicle is destroyed during the terminal count
 * Space (regardless of outcome): Flights which reach approximately 100 km or more above Earth's surface.
 * Any orbit (regardless of outcome): Flights which achieve at least one complete orbit even if the orbit differs from the targeted orbit.
 * Target orbit (without damage to the payload)
 * Status: Actual status of launcher (retired, development, active)
 * Date of flight
 * First: Year of first flight of first family member
 * Last (if applicable): Year of Last flight (for vehicles retired from service)
 * Refs: citations

Same cores are grouped together (like Ariane 1, 2 & 3, but not V).

List of active and under-development launcher families

 * Legend:{{legend|#f9f9f9|Active or undergoing orbital test flights}}{{legend|#f0f0d0|Under-development}}

List of retired launcher families

 * Legend:{{legend|#e0e0e0|Retired}}